


Chasing

by Liebe11



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-24
Updated: 2016-04-24
Packaged: 2018-06-04 06:26:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6644986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liebe11/pseuds/Liebe11
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You can only chase something for so long until you catch up to it.</p>
<p>( Ali and Ash's time in Sweden for Tyresö fanfic. )</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chasing

**Author's Note:**

> Going to try this! Let me know what you guys think...

Ali wasn't shocked by the astounding offer to play in Sweden for Tyresö FF by the time the 2013 NWSL season had ended. She had closed out her professional season as, "the best right back in the world," according to a very animated and always encouraging Ashlyn. Coming off of her knew injury in 2012, Ali made it her job, her  _dedication_ , to get back into form and back onto the starting squads in her life. Excitingly soon, Ali was back in stride; bigger, faster, and stronger than ever. The blood, sweat, and tears she had put into her rehabilitation had made for her most successful professional season yet. She had plans to continue train with her trainer Chris- and with Ashlyn of course- in between national team camps and reside comfortably in the small but lively apartment she shared with Ashlyn in DC while doing so.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

She was shocked at how easily her heart jumped to say yes before her brain had even processed the words. After the phone conversation in her small kitchen in her shared apartment in DC on a sunny Saturday morning, Ali's panic began to set in. After she nodded her head vigorously and excitedly, even though she knew the thick Swedish  accent on the other line obviously couldn't see her; after she mumbled, "Yes, yes, thank you," and was bid goodbye kindly with a very heartwarming, "Adjö!" from the Swede on the phone, the panic set in.

 

Ali looked up at the bright eyed blonde standing barefoot in front of her in their kitchen. At 7am on Saturdays Ashlyn wasn't nearly this close to being a ray of sunshine, but on a morning like this she couldn't hold herself back. 

Ashlyn, sporting her typical joggers, sports bra, bed head and all, displaying a full dimple revealing smile, crashed playfully into Ali. 

 

"Ali, Ali," the blonde said breathlessly and excitedly, grabbing a hold of the brunette's forearms in doing so. "My manager just confirmed everything, I'm going to play for Tyresö," she struggled to pronounce the exceptionally Swedish name, "Ty, Ty-  yeah you get the deal!!" She exclaimed breathlessly, looking wide eyed at Ali, waiting for her reaction.  _Desperate_  for a plead to stay from the warm brown eyes she knew she loved. Ashlyn's manager had told her about the other players offered spots- she didn't want to pressure Ali into anything before she even knew about it. 

 

Ali smiled and all of her panic seemed to settle when she was in the strong arms of the blonde goalkeeper. 

" _No_ ," Ali said pointedly to a very confused Ashlyn, who was furrowing her eyebrows.

" _We're_  playing for Tyresö," Ali answered sweetly, as Ashlyn engulfed her in a hug, squeezing tightly and momentarily lifting her off the ground. She didn't ever want to let go.

 

"This is amazing, Alex," Ashlyn told her genuinely, heads still resting comfortably on each other's shoulders in the tight hug being shared. Ali's eyes were closed as she took in the moment, she was warm and safe in Ashlyn's hold, and she would be in Sweden, too. She exhaled and relaxed in Ashlyn's strong yet soothing hold.

 

Ashlyn pulled back reluctantly, looking at Ali in amazement before running a hand through her unkempt , sun streaked hair. "I'm gonna go get dressed, and then we're going out for coffee at the one, you know, that one that's your favorite, Ashlyn said excitedly and a little too loudly as she stumbled backwards through their apartment's hallway and down into her room, nearly tripping on a sneaker left haphazardly in the hallway. 

 

Ali giggled at Ashlyn's excited manner and the way that the dimpled smile hadn't left her face. When she was with the bundle of positivity that was Ashlyn Harris, the Ashlyn that she knew so closely, she was happy. 

 

She wouldn't think about how to tell her family about her career choice until later. For now, she would have a coffee-filled, happy Saturday morning with the girl she could never stay away from.

 

 

 

 

At 1 am ,  Ashlyn had already passed out in her bed, but Ali was cuddled up on the couch with a mug of tea warming her hands. She didn't want to drink coffee at this hour, even though she loved any variation of it, she needed something to calm her nerves, her jitters. She had already talked to everyone in her family about her decision to play in Sweden except for her mom. Ali realized how much she had drifted from her father after the awkward two minute phone conversation. He showed no emotion, which upset Ali a little bit, but she moved on. She wasn't letting anything get in the way of her soccer career. 

 

She had Facetimed Kyle while at the coffee shop with Ashlyn earlier and he was endlessly supportive- per usual. 

 

 

_"Eat it up girl," Kyle told her positively as he flicked his wrists back. He leaned in closer to his iPad screen. "So I'd assume that Ashlyn's right behind me right? Like sitting across from you at the table- come on I know you two love Baked and Wired," he said rolling his eyes playfully as he pretended to be looking around the pair's favorite coffee shop. He was spot on. They were celebrating their recent decisions by going to their- well Ali's, which Ashlyn had no problem obliging- favorite coffee place in DC._

_Ali glared playfully at Kyle on the screen, trying to hold back a smile, and before Ashlyn could spit some of the coffee out of her mouth from laughing or Ali could rebuke Kyle's sassy statement, he answered his own question. "You two hunnies have fun in Sweden!" He interjected loudly, and Ali's contagious laugh filled the coffee shop. Ali handed her phone over to Ashlyn who waved cutely to Kyle. "You take care of my baby sister ," he told her with a playful stern tone._

_"Nothing but the best for Princess," Ashlyn replied cheekily as she chuckled lightly then said goodbye to Kyle._

_Ashlyn was the only person other than Kyle to give Ali nicknames. **Princess. Alex**. _

_The nicknames only made Ali's heart flutter, **but that's what best friends do every now and again, right?**  Ali didn't mind the playfulness between her brother and Ashlyn at all, to be honest. Kyle never pushed Ali to spill her absolutely underlying feelings and they were extremely close. He knew she'd come around and realize it eventually. _

 

 

 

Ali sighed and put her tea down on the coffee table in their living room. She had to tell her mom. She felt guilty that she was leaving her again. After spending four years in Germany and making her mother worry every second until she got back onto U.S. soil, she felt a horrible weight on her shoulders to do this to her mother again, even if it was only for a couple of months. 

 

Ali's heart began to beat erratically  as she watched the FaceTime screen on phone her ring. After four rings and a thousand rushed heartbeats, a very flustered Deb Krieger picked up her iPad. She adjusted her glasses  and greeted her daughter joyously. They had just talked on the phone two days ago, but she was always happy to see her, nonetheless.

 

"Ali honey!" She exclaimed happily before adjusting her screen to the right position. "How have things been?" She asked in a motherly tone that warmed Ali's heart.

 

Ali smiled meekly, "Well, training's going good. I've been doing some more strength stuff with my knee so you know, that's always good... There's another camp coming up in a few weeks so.. " Ali cleared her throat, rubbed the back of her neck nervously and looked away from the screen tentatively. 

 

Debbie sighed motherly-like. She leaned in a little bit. "Alright Alexandra, tell me what's on your mind,"

She knew her daughter too well by now to let this pass.

 

"Well," Ali mumbled, looking back into her mother's slightly darker brown eyes, "you know a few of the NWSL representatives have been extending loans- so that a few players that did really well this season have an opportunity to play in Sweden for a few months and..."

 

"So are ya gonna take the offer, Ali?" Her mother asked her genuinely, knowing that when Ali rambled she had something to get off her chest. Ali looked up with a shocked expression to her mother's loving one. 

 

"Well um, Ashlyn's gonna go and I-" 

 

"You want to go. I'll support you," Deb finished Ali's sentence for her supportively, "always Alexandra." 

 

The weight lifted off of Ali's shoulders. She knew her mother always had her best interest in mind.  _But how did she know so quickly?_

 

Deb knew that Ali would never make a career decision based on someone else. But she knew that Ali loved Ashlyn and soccer, and that the situation presented was too good to pass up. Ali needed a push. 

 

"Yeah," Ali mumbled a little bit more confidently , "we're gonna do it," she swallowed hard. She was surprised at her own use of ' _we're_ ' but she shook it off quickly before her mother could notice. "Thanks, mom. I don't know what I'd do without you." 

 

 

After their FaceTime had promptly ended, Ali curled her knees up to her chest on the couch. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't buzzing at the fact that she'd be leaving for Sweden in a few weeks, but her emotions overcame her and she began to cry silently. 

 

Obviously the crying that Ali thought was quiet was a little louder than she intended and she soon heard the careful patter of Ashlyn's feet on the hardwood floors. She didn't want Ashlyn to see her like this. Ashlyn peaked her head from around the corner and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion when she saw Ali in tears. It broke her heart to see Ali cry. 

 

Ashlyn rubbed her eyes sleepily and yawned as she walked over to Ali. She put a hand on Ali's back lovingly, trying not to startle the girl. Ali lifted her head at the sudden contact, looking up at Ashlyn wearily. She tried to wipe her eyes with her already tear soaked sleeves, but Ashlyn only took ahold of Ali's wrists gently and sat down next to her on the couch. Instead of berating the brunette with questions at this unholy hour, Ashlyn pulled Ali into her chest lightly. She let her weep into her chest as she rubbed soothing circles on Ali's back and smoothed her hair comfortingly. When Ali's tears subsided and her breathing became calmer, she continued to rest her head in Ashlyn's chest. She didn't want to leave Ashlyn's comforting, safe arms.

 

"Hey," Ashlyn says softly, head still leaning on Ali's. It's the first thing she's said since coming out here. 

"You okay?" Ashlyn's already sweet (but misleading due to her badass outward appearance) voice becomes sweeter in the moment. She really cares about Ali and knows that you can't force anything out of the girl. She had always loved her stubborn quality, it was always cute to Ashlyn. 

 

Ali sniffles and sits up reluctantly. She brushes her stray hair behind her ears and attempts to wipe away the remaining tears stained onto her cheek. She's sitting crosslegged on the couch and before she can blink Ashlyn puts her arm comfortably  around Ali on the couch and wipes her cheek gently with her thumb. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Ashlyn tells her understandingly as she looks into Ali's eyes lovingly.

 

Ali closes her eyes and looks down. She plays with her thumbs then looks up at Ashlyn. Her eyes are riddled with concern as she waits patiently for Ali to say something. 

 

"What if we made the wrong decision, Ash," Ali says in a whisper that nearly breaks Ashlyn's heart in half to hear doubt from the strongest woman she knows. 

 

"Hey," Ashlyn comforts her softly, grabbing Ali's hands in her own, "you're doing the right thing, for  _you_." She says, looking deeply into Ali's watery eyes. 

 

Ali nods her head in response and squeezes Ashlyn's hands a little tighter. "I'm just gonna miss Kyle, and my mom you know, I always get like this when I have to leave home." 

 

Ashlyn nods her head in agreement. 

"You know, my grandma always told me when I was little," Ashlyn tells her honestly, "that dreams don't always come to you. And that sometimes you've gotta chase them," Ashlyn swallows hard. "And that's what you and I are doing, Alex, we're chasing, and we'll get there. It's okay to be scared." Ashlyn inwardly cringed at her own words, knowing she wanted to tell Ali she loved her but couldn't. She couldn't risk losing their friendship, she couldn't risk losing  _her._

 

Before Ashlyn could speak another word Ali had wrapped her arms loosely around Ashlyn's neck and nestled her head on Ashlyn's chest. They seemed to be like this for hours as both of the girls began to doze off on the couch in comfortable silence. It was 2am after all. Ashlyn is stirred awake slightly by a soft breath against her chest. "You know what's not so bad about leaving this time?" Ali said softly into Ashlyn's chest, her fingers subconsciously tracing small circles on Ashlyn's abs.

 

"What?" Ashlyn asks, a smile approaching her face at Ali's usual confidence returning. 

 

"I'm not leaving you this time," she says genuinely as she closes her eyes and starts to fall asleep on Ashlyn's chest. Ashlyn swears the beating from her heart will wake Ali up, so she tries hard to steady it. She swallows hard and plants a chaste kiss on Ali's head. Ashlyn loves her. 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
